Clinical Bayern end United's European dream

David Moyes' first season as Manchester United manager will conclude without a trophy after Bayern Munich ended their Champions League dream with a 3-1 win at the Allianz Arena.

After a dour first half, there was a glimmer of hope for United when Patrice Evra opened the scoring with a spectacular half-volley from 25 yards that found the top corner and gave Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer no chance.

But the lead lasted just 22 seconds when Mario Mandzukic stooped to head home Franck Ribery's cross, with Evra his closest marker.

Bayern were buoyed, United flattened, and Thomas Muller made it 2-1 on the night when he side-footed home Arjen Robben's pass from close range.

Another United goal would have put them back in the driving seat, but Robben put the tie to bed with a deflected finish after waltzing across the edge of the visitors' penalty area to complete a 4-2 aggregate victory.

Moyes' men spent nearly all the first period in their own half as Bayern launched wave after wave of attack.

It would have been so different had Wayne Rooney - playing with a pain-killing injection in his toe - not fluffed two easy chances.

Evra's sweet half-volley led to raucous celebrations from the United bench, but slack defending allowed Mandzukic to score and it was the same story moments later when Muller beat David de Gea after gaining a yard on Nemanja Vidic.

Then Robben, a constant thorn in Bayern's side, got the goal he deserved, beating Evra and Vidic for pace before planting the ball into the corner.

Moyes' game plan, as predicted by opposite number Pep Guardiola, of trying to contain Bayern and hit them on the attack, worked for the best part of an hour thanks to some solid defending.

But in the end Bayern's class was too much. The fact that the German side could field such a stellar line-up when two of their most prominent players - Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez - were suspended shows how big a gulf remains between these two sides.

It also reinforces just how much Moyes needs to spend to turn his team into world-beaters who belong in the European elite, rather than plucky battlers.

They will not be able to take on the likes of Bayern again next year. This was the last realistic chance they had to qualify for the Champions League and the valiant performance in Bavaria will not put a gloss on what has been a dour season under Moyes.